High Plains Gathering

High Plains Gathering-state 2 ___24x24 oil on linen___for Passing America:The Great Plains
A few days ago I taught a one day workshop in Smithville, TX. THe group had worked with me a month earlier, and I gave "homework" for them to "START" a few canvases. TTHis time, I showed how to work up one of their "starts" to a larger canvas. The version below was state one of a large canvas I worked up from the small. This demo took about an hour (not counting my talking time....plenty of that!!!). The idea was to lay down the largest, simplest shapes of color. State two, above is the next step....I see things that I need to refine, before calling it DONE. This one is posted especially for the "gang" in Smithville....would love to know your comments and what you think I will probably do to call it "done" :)

Early Sunrise Thunderheads__sunrise, rain, storm clouds

Early Sunrise Thunderheads___6x8 oil study for "Passing America..." exhibit in 2011

Another one from my recent plains trip in Nebraska's Butler County...Check recent blog posts for some other works...it was a brilliant morning to paint!

One thing I do when painting fast is that I use walnut oil as a medium to spread the paint quickly and also to clean my brushes on the road. If you look closely you can see some places where the oil dripped and carried the pigment with it. If I had seen this while painting it, I would have smoothed it out...I am GLAD I did not see it! The drips, to me, MAKE the painting!...artists sometimes call these things "happy accidents".

Approaching the Storm

Approaching the Storm__Coleman, TX_See the trip blog: Passing America...

Have you ever been to the Joslyn Museum in Omaha, NE? Well I have, as of this morning. I will tell about it when I post works from my current trip through Nebraska, but for now, here is another one from last week's trip thru the Texas Plains Trail. Click the link above to read about the route. This was the only bad weather we had ...a huge storm before Coleman and Winters, TX. The sky was black and lightning was all around us. Do those brush strokes seem nervous? I painted this one and another one as we went through the storm. The strokes are even MORE nervous on the other one...I will have to photograph it when I get back. Postings will be sparse for a few days while we head to Denver, Colorado across the plains. WHAT an amazing place!